(2020-02-05). 'The best is yet to come'? Defiant Trump doubles down in campaign rally-style State of the Union speech. rt.com 
Teased as "low key," US President Donald Trump's annual address to Congress was anything but, with several unprecedented symbolic gestures and a powerful assertion of American triumphalism that put his critics on the back foot. | Trump did not mention impeachment once in the 90-minute speech on Tuesday evening. Instead, he turned his persuasion skills up to eleven, painting a picture of America with a booming economy and infinite opportunities brought about by his administration, and contrasting that with Democrat proposals such as socialized healthcare and sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. | Amid the standa…
(2020-02-05). Overstaying his welcome? Trump spotlights Venezuela's Guaido in cringeworthy reminder of year-long 'interim presidency'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump shone an awkward spotlight on self-styled Venezuelan 'interim president' Juan Guaido sitting in his SOTU audience over a year of daydreaming about replacing Nicolas Maduro as the only 'legitimate leader.' | Trump introduced an embarrassed-looking Guaido to the SOTU audience as "a very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of all Venezuelans." Declaring him the "true and legitimate president of Venezuela," Trump contrasted the fidgety self-appointed statesman to "socialist dictator" President Nicolas Maduro — currently in Caracas running his US sanction…
(2020-02-05). Dossier 25: People's Polyclinics: The initiative of the Telugu communist movement. mronline.org 
Under the shadow of the Charter of the United Nations (1945) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), countries are obliged to guarantee the right to health. The 1946 Constitution of the World Health Organisation (WHO) defines health as 'a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of […] |
(2020-02-05). Trump's 'Deal of the Century': Old Israeli Demands in a New Package. mintpressnews.com Consisting of 80 pages, 50 of which are entirely dedicated to the plan's economic component, Trump's Deal of the Century is little more than a rehash of previous Israeli proposals that have already been rejected by Palestinians, writes Ramzy Baroud.
(2020-02-05). A murderous system is being created before our very eyes. mronline.org A made-up rape allegation and fabricated evidence in Sweden, pressure from the UK not to drop the case, a biased judge, detention in a maximum security prison, psychological torture—and soon extradition to the U.S., where he could face up to 175 years in prison for exposing war crimes. For the first time, the UN Special […] |
(2020-02-05). Refugee resettlement: 'Tremendous gap' persists between needs, and spaces on offer. news.un.org Although around 1.4 million refugees are estimated to be in urgent need of resettlement worldwide, only 63,696 were resettled through the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) last year – that's only 4.5 per cent – due to a continuing shortage of offers of sanctuary from governments across the world.
(2020-02-05). Bolton's Battle With Government Censorship. counterpunch.org Former national security adviser John Bolton is about to learn that the government's pre-publication review process is little more than a violation of the First Amendment's free speech rights. Bolton's book, "The Room Where It Happened," which exposes the perfidy of the Trump administration's orchestrated extortion of the Ukrainian government, is scheduled for release in
(2020-02-05). Sri Lanka: Presidential commission orders halt to trial of naval officers over abductions. wsws.org The attempt to use the presidential commission to interfere in the work of the attorney general is a threat to basic democratic rights and legal norms.
(2020-02-05). Time to Reverse 'Citizens United' and Corporate Constitutional Rights. thenation.com Time to Reverse 'Citizens United' and Corporate Constitutional Rights…
(2020-02-05). Encampment Struggle and Suppression in Santa Cruz. indybay.org The history below was intended as a prologue to an earlier post entitled "Documents on Homeless Encampments and Civil Rights". However its length grew, so I'm posting it separately. For the Documents go to www.indybay.org/newsitems/2020/02/01/188… .
(2020-02-05). Who is indigenous? Millions may be denied land in India's Assam over definition. yenisafak.com Millions of migrants and tribal people in India's northeastern Assam state could be denied land because of a new definition of the term "indigenous", land and human rights experts said.Assam has a long-simmering movement against immigrants and its 2019 land policy, aimed at overhauling a three-decade old land law, seeks to allocate land to landless indigenous people – but does not specify who is indigenous."After we bring the law, an indigenous person can sell his or her land to an indigenous person only, not to anyone else. That means our land will be preserved for our people," health minister Himanta Biswa Sarm…
(2020-02-05). Iran's Rouhani says America is a terrorist and commits terrorist acts. yenisafak.com Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said America was a terrorist and comitted terrorist acts, in a speech broadcast live on state TV, pointing to economic sanctions.Tensions have spiked between Iran and the United States since top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3, prompting the Islamic Republic to retaliate with a missile attack against a U.S. base in Iraq days later.
(2020-02-05). Turkey to respond to EU's adverse steps in E. Med, says FM. yenisafak.com Turkey will respond to European Union's adverse steps in the Eastern Mediterranean if Turkish Cypriots' rights to hydrocarbon resources are ignored, Turkey's foreign minister said Wednesday.Speaking at a meeting with ambassadors of EU member countries in the capital Ankara, Mevlut Cavusoglu underlined that there is a negative atmosphere in the EU against Turkey, saying the anti-Turkey discourse in Europe is on the rise.Cavusoglu lamented that no action has been taken as yet on equal sharing of natural resources in Cyprus and on the Turkish Cypriots' rights."You also saw the saddening incident in the European Parl…
(2020-02-05). Iran's President Rouhani Brands Trump's Israeli-Palestinian Deal 'Crime of the Century'. sputniknews.com US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled the so-called 'deal of the century' in late January. The plan was harshly criticised by a number of states and human rights groups which said it was biased towards Israel.
(2020-02-04). Europe 'will avoid' taking Iran nuclear dispute to UNSC — Borrell. rt.com 
The European Union will extend indefinitely the time limit to resolve disputes in the Iran 2015 nuclear deal to avoid having to go to the UN Security Council or triggering new sanctions, the EU's top diplomat said. | "We are in agreement not to go directly to a strict time limit which would oblige (us) to go to the Security Council," the EU's Josep Borrell told reporters during a visit to Tehran on Monday. | In remarks broadcast on Tuesday, he said "the willingness is not to start a process that goes to the end of JCPOA, but to keep it alive," referring to the Iran accord by its formal name, the Joint Comprehe…
(2020-02-04). Hardcore jihadist resurfaces in France using… EU-paid student exchange program. rt.com 
A man who represented one of the most brutal jihadist groups in Syria has been arrested in France. Bizarrely enough, the suspected war criminal apparently freely enjoyed the benefits of the EU student exchange program. | Last week, several human rights groups celebrated the arrest of a man named Majdi Mustafa Nameh, a humble 30-something student. He is better known under his nom-de-guerre, Islam Alloush, which he used while serving as the spokesman for the jihadist group Jaysh al-Islam. He resigned in August 2016, after giving an interview to an Israeli researcher. | Following his arrest in Marsaille, the man…
(2020-02-04). Boris Johnson's government uses London terror attack to call for indefinite detention. wsws.org For all the cries of "apologist!" in the corporate media, the roots of terrorist groups in the predatory intrigues of the major powers are widely known.
(2020-02-04). Russian FM to Visit Venezuela to Help Counteract Sanctions. telesurenglish.net Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will make a state visit to Venezuela on Friday to boost relations between the two countries while they continue to face economic blockades from the United States and their allies. | RELATED: | According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov will travel first to Cuba, who is also under an inhuman economic blockade, before making his way to Caracas for an official visit.
(2020-02-04). PPS: Twelve Palestinians Detained From West Bank, Including a Mother of Four. imemc.org According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society (PPS), the Israeli occupation forces arrested 12 Palestinian civilians from the occupied West Bank, on Tuesday night, including a mother of four. The PPS said that six Palestinian citizens were arrested from several towns in the Hebron governorate, including a woman. 1.
(2020-02-04). Assange's Treatment Threatens the 'Future of Our Democracies', Says UN Torture Expert. sputniknews.com Professor Nils Melzer, the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, says that the governments of the US, Sweden and the UK have shown "bad faith" in failing to address evidence that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been subjected to torture.
(2020-02-04). Global Witness Accuses Exxon of 'Exploitative' Contract That Robs People of Guyana of $55 Billion in Lost Oil Revenue. commondreams.org International human rights and anti-corruption group Global Witness is calling on the Guyanese government to renegotiate a deal with fossil fuel giant Exxon over an oil license, after the group's analysis showed that Guyana stands to lose $55 billion while Exxon takes control of one of the largest oil reserves found in years. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-04). Teachers, Farmers, Veterans, and Grassroot Leaders: Sanders Campaign Unveils Yuuge Slate of California Endorsements. commondreams.org "As a proud immigrant, long-time union leader, and advocate for women's rights, civil rights, and environmental justice, I have a moral responsibility to support the candidate whose values align with mine," said one of hundreds of people in the Golden State to announce their official support on Tuesday. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-03). Bolivia: Evo Morales' Legal Representative Arrested. telesurenglish.net The legal representative of former Bolivian President Evo Morales has been sentenced to six months in prison in a new attack on the reputation of the Movement towards Socialism (MAS) ahead of the upcoming elections. | Judge Armando Zeballos ordered the pre-trial detention…
(2020-02-03). 'Horrific': Human Rights Advocates Call for Investigation Into Death of Second Monarch Butterfly Defender in Mexico. commondreams.org Human rights defenders on Monday demanded a full investigation into the death of a second conservation activist in Michoacan state, Mexico, after the body of a tour guide in one of the country's largest butterfly preserves was found several days after the man went missing. | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files… …
(2020-02-03). Boris Johnson and Brussels set out competing visions for post-Brexit trade. thecanary.co 
The UK and European Union are on collision course for a Brexit trade battle as Boris Johnson and Michel Barnier set out competing visions of the future relationship.Major stumbling blocks are already obvious, just days after the UK left the European Union, with battles over fishing and the application of a "level playing field" on issues including state subsidies, environmental standards and workers' rights.The prime minister insisted there was "no need" to abide by EU rules and said that British fishing grounds are "first and foremost" for UK boats.Boris Johnson speaks in the Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval…
(2020-02-02). Minneapolis protest rejects Trump's expansion of Muslim ban to six new countries. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – More than 50 people protested Saturday, February 1, outside the Federal Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis to condemn Donald Trump adding six more countries to his administration's travel ban. | The protest was called by the Council on American-Islamic Relations-Minnesota (CAIR) just a day earlier and was endorsed by the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, Black Immigrant Collective, Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC), Anti-War Committee, among others. | The Minneapolis protest was emceed by Jaylani Hussein of CAIR-MN. State Attorney General Keith Ellison and former State Repre…
(2020-02-02). SPLC and the SPLC Action Fund Hire Internationally Renowned Human and Civil Rights Leader as New President and CEO. splcenter.org Margaret Huang brings 25 years of experience advocating against discrimination and oppression around the world.
(2020-02-01). Mexico: UNICEF calls for implementation of protocol to protect migrant children. news.un.org Authorities in Mexico are being reminded by the UN children's agency, UNICEF, of the need to protect the rights of migrant children who enter the country.
(2020-01-31). Headlines for January 31, 2020. democracynow.org Senate Poised to Acquit President Trump in Impeachment Trial, World Health Organization Declares International Public Health Emergency, U.S. Special Envoy Warns of International Crisis in Idlib, Syria, Britain Formally Withdrawing from European Union Tonight, Pentagon Deploys 1st Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead-Armed Submarine, Trump Admin Poised to Loosen Restrictions on Use of Landmines, Human Rights Groups Condemn Mexico for Crackdown on Central American Migrants, Mexican Butterfly Conservationist Found Dead, Bolivia's Movement for Socialism Candidate Luis Arce Returns to Bolivia, U.S. Pushes EU to End Ban on Chemic…
(2020-01-31). US Middle East peace plan 'lopsided', says independent UN rights expert. news.un.org A United States plan released this week to resolve the decades-long conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is "lopsided" and will only entrench occupation, an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday.
(2020-01-31). Security Council renews Central African Republic arms embargo. news.un.org The UN Security Council on Friday renewed the arms embargo against the Central African Republic (CAR) and extended the mandate of the expert panel assisting its sanctions committee for the country.
(2020-01-31). Do not confuse food charity with 'right to food', UN expert tells Italians, labelling food system exploitative. news.un.org A sophisticated Italian food system is placing a heavy burden on Italy's workers and farmers, an independent UN human rights expert said on Friday, following an 11-day visit to the country that many regard as the world's food capital.
(2020-01-30). Anti-Trump-themed 'Immigrant Food' restaurant owned by lobbyists for right-wing Latin American coup leaders who fueled migration crisis. thegrayzone.com The shocking story of how wealthy Latin American regime-change hitmen exploited immigrant rights, international food, and a pliant DC media…
(2020-01-29). 'This Type of Surveillance Threatens Us All' – CounterSpin interview with Chip Gibbons on FBI vs. 1st Amendment. fair.org 
Janine Jackson interviewed Defending Rights & Dissent's Chip Gibbons about the FBI vs. the First Amendment for the Media…
(2020-01-29). We're Back in Court this Week Defending Access to Safe Abortion in Kentucky. aclu.org The ACLU is back | in court today once again to stop Kentucky's attempt to block access to | abortion. We've been here before. Over the past three years, the Kentucky | General Assembly has passed bill after bill that limits — and even bans — a | person's ability to get an abortion. And time after time, we've gone to court to | protect people's rights to get the care they need. | At issue this | week is a law that makes it a crime for doctors at Kentucky's last remaining | abortion clinic to perform an abortion procedure that is the standard of care. | In reality, the law is nothing more than a…
(2020-01-29). Headlines for January 29, 2020. democracynow.org McConnell Tries to Secure Votes to Block Impeachment Witnesses, "Our Rights Are Not for Sale": Palestinians Reject Trump's Middle East Plan, Trump Praises Pompeo for Shouting and Cursing at NPR Reporter, WaPo Reinstates Reporter Suspended for Tweeting About Kobe Rape Case, Death Toll from Coronavirus Virus Hits 132, with 6,000 Infected, Over 100,000 Syrian Civilians Flee Regime Offensive in Idlib, Floods Kill 30, Displace 16,000 in Madagascar, Mississippi to Shut Down Unit of Parchman Prison After Deaths of 9 Prisoners, Maryland Cop Charged with Murder for Killing Handcuffed Man in Police Car…
(2020-01-28). Asylum-Seekers Are Being Abandoned in Guatemala in a New Policy Officials Call a "Total Disaster" aclu.org In late November, U.S. immigration authorities began | deporting some Central American asylum-seekers to Guatemala under a new | policy that makes it nearly impossible for them to seek asylum in the U.S. | But Guatemalan human rights workers say that their country's | asylum system isn't capable of handling even the relatively small numbers that | have been sent there so far, and that asylum seekers' precarious status in the | country has already pushed many to leave. | "They're preferring to move on…
(2020-01-28). SPLC sues Alabama school district for violating students' due process rights after cell phone is mistaken for gun. splcenter.org Andre and his friend were taking turns on a cell phone, playing a video game called Last Day on Earth: Survival — about staying alive on a zombie-infested planet — when a real-life gunshot rang out.
(2020-01-27). Under Pressure in Impeachment Trial, Trump Steps Up Attacks on Reproductive Rights. democracynow.org 
Donald Trump on Friday became the first sitting president in U.S. history to attend the so-called March for Life, the annual anti-abortion rally held in Washington, D.C., that draws thousands of participants. President Trump — who once described himself as "pro-choice in every respect" — accused Democrats of infanticide and falsely stated that Virginia Governor Ralph Northam supports an abortion bill that would "execute a baby after birth." The March for Life began in 1974 in response to the landmark 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. Past…
(2020-01-27). Headlines for January 27, 2020. democracynow.org Impeachment Trial Resumes as Leaked Bolton Manuscript Bolsters Democrats' Case, Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 81 in China as Disease Spreads Around the World, Pentagon: 34 U.S. Troops Have Brain Injuries After Iranian Attack on Iraqi Airbase, Deadly Crackdown on Iraqi Protests Continue as 100,000s March Against U.S. Military Presence, Turkey Earthquake Kills 38; At Least 1,600 Hospitalized, Ugandan Activist Vanessa Nakate Slams Racist Media After Being Cropped from Photo with White Activists, Trump Attends Anti-Abortion "March for Life" as Admin Continues Assault on Reproductive Rights, High-Ranking Pharma Exec…
(2020-01-27). "Ours to Tell": New Film Highlights Personal Stories About the Importance of Abortion Access. democracynow.org 
As Roe v. Wade faces unprecedented attacks, the new short film "Ours to Tell" puts a human face to the fight for reproductive justice and highlights those whose stories are often sidelined by the media: LGBTQ communities and communities of color. The film focuses on Ylonda, Nick, Hannah and Brittany, four people who discuss how having access to abortion shaped their lives. The film was directed by Rayka Zehtabchi and was created by Planned Parenthood and We Testify. For more on the film, as well as the state of reproductive rights in the United States, we speak with Renee Bracey Sherman, founder and executive dir…
(2020-01-24). Hundreds of Thousands of Iraqis Protest Against US Occupation. theantimedia.com (TMU) — Iraq's parliament voted last month to expel the U.S. troops who have been occupying the country for nearly twenty years. However, the United States government has refused to comply with the order and has threatened harsh sanctions if they are forced to leave. The presence of the United States military is unwelcome in Iraq and the rest of the …
(2020-01-23). Amendment 4 is Still on the Line. Here's What's New. aclu.org The right to vote cannot depend on how much money you have. That's what
(2020-01-16). Conspiracy Theories, Threats of Violence Loom Over Coming Gun Rally in Richmond. splcenter.org Gun-rights activists and antigovernment extremists are planning a protest in Richmond, Virginia, on Monday fueled by antigovernment conspiracy theories and accompanied by online calls for violence.
(2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …